PHOENIX — Uniformed pilots of America West
Airlines and Mesa Air will conduct informational picketing on December 16 at
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to demonstrate their unified opposition to Mesa Air
Group’s formation of Freedom Airlines as an alter-ego carrier.

"The only reason Mesa Air Group has set up
Freedom Airlines is to divert work from the dedicated Mesa pilots and give our
jobs to Freedom pilots, who don’t have the benefits or protections of a union
contract," said Captain Andrew Hughes, chairman of the Mesa Airlines ALPA
unit.

"We recognize that Freedom Airlines
threatens the careers of all professional pilots," said Eric Edwards,
chairman of the America West ALPA unit. "We are disappointed that America
West chooses to do business with a company that shows such little respect for
its employees, which demonstrates how our company feels about its own
pilots."